So, you made your salad, but still have some lettuce left over. Can dogs have lettuce?

A little people food, now and then, won’t hurt your pup. Of course, it needs to be the right kind of people food. When it comes to lettuce, it is the right kind of people food for your pup to munch.

Why Can Dogs Have Lettuce?

Dogs can eat lettuce because it contains no toxins or allergens that hurt your pooch. In fact, your pup should have no problem eating as much lettuce as they want.

Unlike the majority of people foods, using moderation isn’t quite as necessary with lettuce. Of course, that doesn’t mean to start heaving pounds of lettuce at your precious pup’s face. Just that less caution needs to be exercised when giving your pup lettuce.

The only real issue with feeding large amounts of lettuce to your pup is that it can cause loose stool.

However, make sure to finely chop any lettuce you feed to your doggo. This precaution requires your attention because lettuce still runs the risk of being a choking hazard.

Best Of

Although your pup can eat plenty of lettuce, lettuce doesn’t really provide a ton of healthy nutrients. Lettuce provides your dog some vitamins and fiber, but not nearly as much as other healthy greens, like spinach or carrots.

But… There are some lettuce types that provide healthier nutrients than others, and lettuce does provide unique health benefits for your pup. For example, Dr. Judy Morgan explains that lettuce contains “draining properties” that work to naturally reduce blood pressure.

Lettuce also contains nutrients that aid your pup’s bowel movements and reduce risks of constipation. And, as I said earlier, lettuce contains fiber. Fiber is important because the good bacteria that live in your dog’s gut love them some fiber.

Having healthy, good bacteria in your pup’s gut will benefit their immune system.

Iceberg, Right Ahead!

Whether it’s iceberg, butterhead, or summer crisp, your dog certainly can eat lettuce. However, Chewy.com recommends feeding your pup darker varieties, like romaine.

Darker varieties of lettuce provide more healthy nutrients for your pup. Why? Because darker greens provide more chlorophyll and contain less water.

The chlorophyll is what makes lettuce and other veggies green. Also, chlorophyll is what contains a lot of those nutritious vitamins and minerals.

While lettuce really doesn’t run any risks of affecting your pup’s health, it’s still best to allow your dog’s tummy to get used to it. Start feeding your pup small amounts, increasing the amount each time you feed them.

So long as your pup doesn’t show any negative reactions (like nausea or an upset tummy), then they’re fine to chow down!

Lett-uce Eat!

Alright, alright. Enough of the chit chat. Can dogs have lettuce? They sure can.

Your pup’s got the hungry eyes and you’ve got leftover romaine from your delicious, house salad. Just throw some chopped up leaves of that romaine onto your fur baby’s food and watch them go to town!

Once again, feeding your pup some tasty romaine earns you some serious love points.